| |
| The
old well tower
TE photo, September, 2000 |
| Longfellow
no longer exists as a town, however it does as a ranch.
History
in a Pecan Shell No
one seems to know why it was named Longfellow. It's primary reason for existing
was the same as (relatively) nearby Pumpville,
which was to provide water for the steam locomotives of the day.
Prior
to the railroad's arrival, the land was grazed by cattle owned by Mexican
ranchers. A post office was granted in the 1890s for the people who lived around
the railroad station and ranch headquarters. The telegraph office was closed in
1944 and things haven't been the same since. |
| Gate
to ranch headquarters
TE photo, September, 2000
|
| The
cluster of buildings on the north side of highway 90 appear to be inhabited
on occasion and a visit in August, 2000, revealed a small flock of domestic chickens.
A small boat is hung under a pole barn. Maybe it's the Hesperus, or someone is
taking the Boy Scout motto seriously. We would advise visitors, as always, to
stay on the public side of the fence.
The
south side of the highway has the railroad tracks and cattle chutes. One
sturdy building holds feed for the ranch and this side is also the site
of the old iron framework of the pump tower. Our visit was monitored by
a curious deer at 3 p.m. |
| Feed
storage building in Longfellow
TE photo, September, 2000
|
| There's
not too much to see and do on the drive between Sanderson
and Marathon, so why not get out
of your car at Longfellow? If you see anybody at the ranch headquarters, ask them
what the boat is for. | |
| Save on Hotels
- Expedia
Affiliate Network |
|
